The Newton Citizen Poll is a compilation of opinions submitted by readers. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Citizen newspapers. If you agree or disagree with something you read here, you may respond by emailing poll@newtoncitizen.com or call 770-483-7108, ext. 403. Please remember that the Citizen Poll is not a forum for comments either for or in opposition to candidates seeking elective office.

“You can sure tell when the schools are open in Newton County. Walking through our subdivision, you can see at the school bus stops, Coke cans, juice boxes, wrappers from chips, Cheetos, junk food, etc. Parents are sending their children out the door, ‘Here’s breakfast, run for the bus.’ Sad commentary on parenting. Also noticed this morning, several Bud Lite bottles among the debris. Are the kids getting an extra lift before boarding the bus or are their slovenly parents just adding their own trash to that left behind by their children. Do we see a pattern here? Uncaring people raising another generation of uncaring people.”

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“Newton County Board! We are losing good people, good workers at an alarming rate! The time is now to do something about this. You have taken the wrong approach on this issue by saying the employees need to be glad to have jobs, well guess what, there are other jobs out there and your employees have left. The sheriff’s and firefighters are going quickly. Newton County has gotten a bad name for employment in the public safety community. Why would anyone come here when you can go just up the road and make $5-10K more per year? Now we have people that are not properly trained and have no experience and it will only get worse from here on out unless you do something about it soon. Experience is something you never get back! Newton Citizen look at all this. I find it amazing with all these good people leaving nothing is being reported on this issue.”

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“What will it take to fix the huge ankle-deep mud hole in front and behind the bleachers at City Pond training league ball field? As a parent with one in ball and one in a stroller, it is impossible to walk to the dugout. I’m frustrated that my tax dollars go to the big boy fields but can’t take time to upkeep at little boys field. I am frustrated that there is trash outlining the fence. I have seen cow pastures better than this field.”

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“A word to all the people who voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012. You felt you were voting for him in order to put the first African-American president in the White House. Guess again folks — he is bi-racial. You obviously forgot his mother was white and he was raised by his white grandmother. So, in reality, we have our first bi-racial president. Liberals need to stop with all the racist comments about conservatives being against him because he is black.”

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“I think these stupid people who run dog fighting rings, should get a taste of their own medicine. I would like to see them sentenced by a judge to be thrown in a pit with two or three of the dogs they have abused. They can then see what it feels like to be attacked and torn to pieces. That would be justice!”

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“I was channel-surfing Sunday evening and came to the VMA show, just as Miley Cyrus was coming on. This show should have been rated X. I have never seen such filth. Was she auditioning for a porn movie? No wonder so many of the youth of today are headed for hell. They love these hip-hop and rap stars who emulate sex in every song. What happened to morals, not depravity in this country? Parents better wake up now or there is no hope for these ‘kids in satan’s service’. For you people living in the dark ages — that is what the name of the group KISS stands for. Obama needs to crack down on these musicians feeding garbage to our kids. He even had some of these filth-mongering rap stars at the White House. …”

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“This is a land of opportunity for all. But you have to seek the opportunities, they are not coming to you. You will not find them laying on a couch watching TV!”

To the citizen poll poster above. Newton County is always full of garbage on the road ways and trash and litter. I came in to town the other day from the first exit that Longhorn one I guess it's 90. The town looks 3rd world tires all over the place for sale, thugs on the sides of the road, some huge woman with a buggy in the middle of 278 like she was owning her bad behavior, junkie stores, crumbling paint, tall weeds just not somewhere anyone is wanting to drop a dime or take a dump for long. The chamber of commerce will keep on making you feel good by ringing those bells when they open a hot dog shoppe or a dollar tree or a flea market. Why not Belk? Why no theatre complex? They will keep giving you fast food to offset those real healthy lunches the school system brags about but can no longer afford and the low test scores of this county added to the trashy roads and awful leadership will keep people smiling as they pass exits 90, 92, 93 and 98 and move right out to beautiful Morgan County and Oconee and the Lakes to live!!!!!!!

Belk used to be on Covington but closed down several years ago to move to Conyers. A lot of the other "home town stores" closed due to big box stores coming in. Its not going to get any better any time soon

Don't think you can class Belk as a hometown store , read:
"Belk is a department store chain founded in 1888 by William Henry Belk in Monroe, N.C. It is the nation's largest family owned and operated department store company with 301 locations in 16 Southern states."
NC always had a Wal-Mart since I moved here in 1996. Used to go to Conyers to shop for groceries at the Super Wal-Mart & a larger selection of other stuff and go to HD for certain items (I primarily go to the ACE store in Covington unless they don't have the selection or carry the item I need). Now my sales tax dollars stays right here.
NC has a larger population by about 30K than Rockdale but they have a greater number of quality chain businesses.
Earlier this year in March, I did my best to buy a late model pre-owned car from one of the two dealers in Covington, I bought out of town and county and it wasn't in Rockdale. Simple reasons - the car I bought (same make & model) was $3000 (or 20% less,) newer in years (2011 vs 2010) and less miles (35K vs 44K). Before I signed on the dotted line called back to the local dealer and simply asked could they match it - they made zero effort - they made zero from me - Mama raised no fool.
As a side note I do all my banking with a local home grown financial institution adm have for 17 years - the one that says they may not be a bigger bank but they are a better bank & in my opinion they are.
"If you want to fly with the eagles you can't sit around a hoot with the owls."

If you remember there were several stores around the square that I considered "Home Town Stores"not particularly Belk. I know Belk is a chain store and if you read my comment correctly I said " a lot of the other home town stores"

Maybe your phrasing could have been more clear. I did read it correctly. First you mentioned the Belk move to Conyers followed by your "the other home town stores" statement. From here, that seems to strongly imply Belk was one of the home town stores. If you meant it differently, maybe should have stated your comment more precisley. Hint: should have left the word "other" out.

Stay out of Syria! If they were a threat to the USA and we went in there with full force and conquered them, then that would be acceptable. However, there has not been a will to win for the last 50 years. This country is not being run by statesmen, but rather by politicians who care more about staying in office than doing what’s good for this country. Do you want to get us into another war we have no intention on winning? Tell that to the guys who come back missing arms and legs, if they come back at all.

It’s not hard to tell which side is the right side. All you have to do is look at who Obama is backing and then choose the other one!

Please don't send any people to Morgan we like our lives just fine. We dont' need shopping malls or any more places to eat. We leave all that for the folks in Newton. I am probaly the only one in America that likes high gas prices because unless you have a good job already you can't afford to move out to Morgan or Lake Oconee. Just saying it keeps the urban sprawl in check at least for a little while.

Morgan County is beautiful. I love it and I plan to retire at Lake Oconee. Believe it or not some of the people who push so hard for development in Newton County actually own land in Morgan County. Interesting huh.